1553 英翻中(第一課第一章) At End —— but not yet! 结束——但没有结束！ 27/4/2026
Chapter One At End —— but not yet! 2 Cor . 1: 1-11 第一章 结束 —— 但没有结束！ 哥林多後书 1:1-11
You seem to imagine that I have no ups and downs, but just a level and lofty stretch of spiritual attainment with unbroken joy and equanimity. By no means! I am often perfectly wretched and everything appears most murky.” 你似乎想象我没有起起落落，只是一个层次和崇高的精神 境界，喜悦和平静。绝不！我经常非常不幸，一切都显得最模糊。”
So wrote the man who was called in his day “The Greatest Preacher in the English-speaking World”— Dr. John Henry Jowett. He pastored leading churches, preached to huge congregations, and wrote books that were bestsellers. 那个在他那个时代被称为“英语世界最伟大的传教士”的人——约翰·亨利·乔维特博士是这样写的。他牧养了主要的教会，向庞大的会众讲道，并撰写了畅销书。
“I am the
subject of depressions of spirit so fearful that I hope none of you ever get to
such extremes of wretchedness as I go to.” “我是精神抑郁症的对象，如此可怕，我希望你们中的任何人都不会像我那样陷入极端的悲惨境地。”
Those
words were spoken in a sermon by Charles Haddon Spurgeon whose marvelous
ministry in
Discouragement is no respecter of persons. In fact, discouragement seems to attack the successful far more than the u n we read that the great apostle Paul was “pressed out of measure” and “despaired even of life” (2 Cor. 1:8). Great as he was in character and ministry, Paul was human just like the rest of us. 气馁是不尊重人的。事实上，灰心似乎对成功者的攻击远远超过对失败者的攻击。因为我们爬得越高，跌得越远。当我们读到伟大的使徒保罗“被压得喘不过气来”和“甚至对生命绝望”（林后 1:8）时，我们并不感到惊讶。保罗在品格和事工方面都很棒，他和我们其他人一样是人。
Paul
could have escaped these burdens except that he had a call from God (2 Cor.
1:1) and a concern to help people. He had founded the church at
Unfortunately,
matters grew worse, and Paul had to make a “painful visit” to
He
wrote the letter for several reasons. First, he wanted to encourage the church
to forgive and restore the member who had caused all the trouble (2 Cor.
2:6–11). He also wanted to explain his change in plans (2 Cor.
One of the key words in this letter is comfort or encouragement. The Greek word means “called to one’s side to help.” The verb is used eighteen times in this letter, and the noun eleven times. In spite of all the tri[1]als he experienced, Paul was able (by the grace of God) to write a letter saturated with encouragement. What was Paul’s secret of victory when he was experiencing pressures and trials? His secret was God. When you find yourself discouraged and ready to quit, get your attention off of yourself and focus it on God. Out of his own difficult experience, Paul tells us how we can find encouragement in God. He gives us three simple reminders. 这封信的关键词之一是安慰或鼓励。希腊词的意思是“被召唤到身边帮助”。在这封信中动词用了十八次，名词用了十一次。尽管他经历了所有的考验，保罗还是能够（靠着上帝的恩典）写出一封充满鼓励的信。保罗在压力和试炼中得胜的秘诀是什么？他的秘密就是上帝。当你发现自己灰心并准备放弃时，把注意力从自己身上移开，把注意力集中在上帝身上。出于他自己的艰难经历，保罗告诉我们如何在上帝那里得到鼓励。他给了我们三个简单的提醒。
Paul began his letter with a doxology. He certainly could not sing about his circumstances, but he could sing about the God who is in control of all circumstances. Paul had learned that praise is an important factor in achieving victory over discouragement and depression. “Praise changes things” just as much as “Prayer changes things.” 保罗以赞美诗开始他的信。他当然不能歌颂他的境遇，但他可以歌颂掌管一切境遇的上帝。保罗了解到，赞美是战胜沮丧和沮丧的重要因素。 “赞美改变事物”就像“祷告改变事物”一样。
Praise Him because He is God! You find this phrase “blessed be God” in two other places in the New Testament, in Ephesians 1:3 and 1 Peter 1:3. In Ephesians 1:3 Paul praised God for what He did in the past, when He “chose us in [Christ]” (Eph. 1:4) and blessed us “with all spiritual blessings” (nasb). In 1 Peter 1:3 Peter praised God for future blessings and “a living hope” (nasb). But in 2 Corinthians Paul praised God for present blessings, for what God was accom[1]plishing then and there. 赞美祂，因为祂是神！你在新约的另外两个地方，即以弗所书 1:3 和彼得前书 1:3 中发现了“神是应当称颂的”这句话。在以弗所书 1:3 中，保罗赞美神在过去所做的事，当时他“在［基督里］拣选了我们”（弗 1:4）并“赐给我们一切属灵的福气”（nasb）。在彼得前书 1:3 中，彼得为未来的祝福和“活的希望”（新美國標準版）赞美上帝。但在哥林多后书 2 章中，保罗赞美神现在的祝福，以及神当时和那里所成就的。
During
the horrors of the Thirty Years’ War, Pastor Martin Rinkart faithfully served
the people in Eilenburg,
Now thank we all our God, 现在感谢我们所有的上帝，
With heart and
hands and voices,
Who wondrous things
hath done,
In whom His world rejoices! 祂的世界因谁而欢欣！
Praise
Him because He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! It is because of Jesus
Christ that we can call God “Father” and even approach Him as His chil[1]dren.
God sees us in His Son and loves us as He loves His Son (John
Whatever the Father did for Jesus when He was ministering on earth, He is able to do for us today. We are dear to the Father because His Son is dear to Him and we are citizens of “the kingdom of his dear Son [the Son of his love]” (Col. 1:13). We are precious to the Father, and He will see to it that the pressures of life will not destroy us. 无论天父在地上事奉时为耶稣做了什么，今天他都能为我们做。我们是天父所爱的，因为祂的儿子是祂所爱的，而且我们是“祂爱子［祂的爱子］国度的公民”（西 1:13）。我们对天父来说是宝贵的，他会确保生活的压力不会摧毁我们。
Praise
Him because He is the Father of mercies! To the Jewish people, the phrase
father of means “originator of.” Satan is the father of lies (John
God in
His grace gives us what we do not deserve, and in His mercy He does not give us what we
do deserve. “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed” (Lam.
Praise Him because He is the God of all comfort! The words comfort or consolation (same root word in the Greek) are repeated ten times in 2 Corinthians 1:1–11. We must not think of comfort in terms of “sympathy,” because sympathy can weaken us instead of strengthen us. God does not pat us on the head and give us a piece of candy or a toy to distract our atten[1]tion from our troubles. No, He puts strength into our hearts so we can face our trials and triumph over them. Our English word comfort comes from two Latin words meaning “with strength.” The Greek word means “to come alongside and help.” It is the same word used for the Holy Spirit (“the Comforter”) in John 14—16. 赞美祂，因为祂是赐一切安慰的神！在哥林多后书 1：1-11 中，安慰或安慰（希腊语中的同一个词根）这两个词重复了十次。我们不能用“同情”来考虑安慰，因为同情会削弱我们而不是加强我们。上帝不会拍拍我们的头，给我们一块糖果或玩具来分散我们对烦恼的注意力。不，他将力量放在我们的心中，这样我们就可以面对我们的考验并战胜它们。我们的英语单词comfort来自两个拉丁词，意思是“有力量”。希腊语的意思是“与我们并肩帮助”。它与约翰福音 14-16 章中用于圣灵（“保惠师”）的词相同, 約翰福音14--16。
God can
encourage us by His Word and through His Spirit, but sometimes He uses other
believers to give us the encouragement we need (2 Cor. 2:7–8; 7:6–7). How
wonderful it would be if all of us had the nickname “Barnabas—son of
encouragement” (Acts
When you find yourself discouraged because of difficult circumstances, it is easy to look at yourself and your feelings, or to focus on the problems around you. But the first step we must take is to look by faith to the Lord and realize all that God is to us. “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth” (Ps. 121:1–2). 当你发现自己因为困难的情况而灰心时，很容易审视自己和你的感受，或者把注意力集中在你周围的问题上。但我们必须迈出的第一步是凭信心仰望主，领悟神对我们的一切。 “我要向山举目，我的帮助从那里来。我的帮助来自创造天地的耶和华”（诗篇 121:1-2）。
3. Remember What God Does for You (1:4a, 8–11) He permits the trials to come. There are ten basic words for suffering in the Greek language, and Paul used five of them in this letter. The most frequently used word is thlipsis, which means “narrow, confined, under pressure,” and in this letter is translated “affliction” (2 Cor. 2:4; 4:17), “tribulation” (2 Cor. 1:4), and “trouble” (2 Cor. 1:4, 8). Paul felt hemmed in by difficult circum stances, and the only way he could look was up.
In 2 Corinthians 1:5–6, Paul used the word pathêma, “suffering,” which was also used for the suf ferings of our Savior (1 Peter 1:11; 5:1). There are some sufferings that we endure simply because we are human and subject to pain; but there are other sufferings that come because we are God’s people and want to serve Him.
We must never think that trouble is an accident. For the believer, everything is a divine appointment. There are only three possible outlooks a person can take when it comes to the trials of life. If our trials are the products of “fate” or “chance,” then our only recourse is to give up. Nobody can control fate or chance. If we have to control everything ourselves, then the situation is equally as hopeless. But if God is in con trol, and we trust Him, then we can overcome circumstances with His help.
God encourages us in all our tribulations by teach ing us from His Word that it is He who permits trials to come.
He is in control of trials (v. 8). “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life” (niv). Paul was weighed down like a beast of burden with a load too heavy to bear. But God knew just how much Paul could take, and He kept the situation in control.
We do not know what the specific “trouble” was, but it was great enough to make Paul think he was going to die. Whether it was peril from his many ene mies (see Acts 19:21ff.; 1 Cor. 15:30–32), serious illness, or special satanic attack, we do not know; but we do know that God controlled the circumstances and protected His servant. When God puts His children into the furnace, He keeps His hand on the thermostat and His eye on the thermometer (1 Cor. 10:13; 1 Peter 1:6–7). Paul may have despaired of life, but God did not despair of Paul.
God enables us to bear our trials (v. 9). The first thing He must do is show us how weak we are in our selves. Paul was a gifted and experienced servant of God, who had been through many different kinds of trials (see 2 Cor. 4:8–12; 11:23ff.). Surely all of this experience would be sufficient for him to face these new difficulties and overcome them.
But God
wants us to trust Him—not our gifts or abilities, our experience, or our
“spiritual reserves.” Just about the time we feel self-confident and able to
meet the enemy, we fail miserably. “For when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Cor.
When
you and I die to self, then God’s resurrection power can go to work. It was
when Abraham and Sarah were as good as dead physically that God’s resurrection
power enabled them to have the promised son (Rom.
Paul
did not deny the way he felt, nor does God want us to deny our emotions. “We
were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears” (2 Cor.
7:5). The phrase “sentence of death” in 2 Corinthians 1:9 could refer to an
official verdict, per[1]haps
an order for Paul’s arrest and execution. Keep in mind that the unbelieving
Jews hounded Paul’s trail and wanted to eliminate him (Acts
God
delivers us from our trials (v. 10). Paul saw God’s hand of deliverance whether
he looked back, around, or ahead. The word Paul used means “to help out of
distress, to save and protect.” God does not always deliver us immediately, nor
in the same way. James was beheaded, yet Peter was delivered from prison (Acts
12). Both were delivered, but in different ways. Sometimes God delivers us from
our trials, and at other times He delivers us in our trials.
God’s deliverance
was in response to Paul’s faith, as well as to the faith of praying people in
God is glorified through our trials (v. 11). When Paul reported what God had done for him, a great cho[1]rus of praise and thanksgiving went up from the saints to the throne of God. The highest service you and I can render on earth is to bring glory to God, and sometimes that service involves suffering. “The gift bestowed” refers to Paul’s deliverance from death, a wonderful gift indeed!
Paul
was never ashamed to ask Christians to pray for him. In at least seven of his
letters, he mentioned his great need for prayer support (Rom.
A
missionary friend told me about the miraculous deliverance of his daughter from
what was diagnosed as a fatal disease. At the very time the girl was so ill,
several friends in the
The
word sunupourgêo translated “helping together” is used only here in the Greek
New Testament and is composed of three words: with, under, work. It is a
picture of laborers under the bur[1]den,
working together to get the job accomplished. It is encouraging to know that
the Holy Spirit also assists us in our praying and helps to carry the load
(Rom.
God
works out His purposes in the trials of life, if we yield to Him, trust Him,
and obey what He tells us to do. Difficulties can increase our faith and
strengthen our prayer lives. Difficulties can draw us closer to other
Christians as they share the burdens with us. Difficulties can be used to
glorify God. So, when you find yourself in the trials of life, remember what
God is to you and what God does for you.
2. Remember What God Does through You (1:4b–7)
In times of suffering, most of us are prone to think only of ourselves and to forget others. We become cisterns instead of channels. Yet one reason for trials is so that you and I might learn to be channels of blessing to comfort and encourage others. Because God has encouraged us, we can encourage them.
One of
my favorite preachers is Dr. George W. Truett, who pastored the
Many months later, a young mother lost her baby; and again, Dr. Truett was called to bring her comfort. But nothing he shared with her seemed to help her. But at the funeral service, the newly converted mother stepped to the girl’s side and said, “I passed through this, and I know what you are passing through. God called me, and through the darkness I came to Him. He has comforted me, and He will comfort you!”
Dr. Truett said, “The first mother did more for the second mother than I could have done, maybe in days and months; for the first young mother had traveled the road of suffering herself.”
However,
Paul made it clear that we do not need to experience exactly the same trials in
order to be able to share God’s encouragement. If we have experienced God’s
comfort, then we can “comfort them which are in any trouble” (2 Cor. 1:4b). Of
course, if we have experienced similar tribulations, they can help us identify
better with others and know better how they feel; but our experiences cannot
alter the comfort of God. That remains sufficient and efficient no matter what
our own experiences may have been.
Later
in 2 Corinthians 12, Paul will give us an example of this principle. He was
given a “thorn in the flesh”—some kind of physical suffering that constantly
buffeted him. We do not know what this thorn in the flesh was, nor do we need
to know. What we do know is that Paul experienced the grace of God and then
shared that encouragement with us. No matter what your trial may be, “My grace
is sufficient for thee” (2 Cor. 12:9) is a promise you can claim. We would not
have that promise if Paul had not suffered.
The
subject of human suffering is not easy to understand, for there are mysteries
to the working of God that we will never grasp until we get to heaven.
Sometimes we suffer because of our own sin and rebel[1]lion, as did
Jonah. Sometimes we suffer to keep us from sinning, as was the case with Paul
(2 Cor. 12:7). Suffering can perfect our character (
But
suffering can also help us to minister to others. In every church, there are
mature saints of God who have suffered and experienced God’s grace, and they
are the great “encouragers” in the congregation. Paul experienced trouble, not
as punishment for something he had done, but as preparation for something he
was yet going to do—minister to others in need. Just think of the trials that
King David had to endure in order to give us the great encouragement that we
find in the Psalms.
Second Corinthians 1:7 makes it clear that
there was always the possibility that the situation might be reversed: the
Corinthian believers might go through trials and receive God’s grace so that
they might encourage
others. God sometimes calls a church family to experience special trials in
order that He might bestow on them special abundant grace.
God’s gracious encouragement helps us if we
learn to endure. “Patient endurance” is an evidence of faith. If we become
bitter or critical of God, if we rebel instead of submit, then our trials will
work against us instead of for us. The ability to endure difficulties
patiently, without giving up, is a mark of spiritual maturity (Heb. 12:1–7).
God has to work in us before He can work
through us. It is much easier for us to grow in knowledge than to grow in grace
(2 Peter
In this light, 2 Corinthians 1:5 is very
important: even our Lord Jesus Christ had to suffer! When we suffer
in the will of God, we are sharing the sufferings of the Savior. This does not
refer to His “vicarious suffer[1]ings”
on the cross, for only He could die as a sinless substitute for us (1 Peter
But as the sufferings increase, so does the
supply of God’s grace. The word abound suggests the picture of a river
overflowing. “But he giveth more grace” (James 4:6). This is an important
principle to grasp: God has ample grace for our every need, but He will not
bestow it in advance. We come by faith to the throne of grace “that we may
obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb.
I read about a devoted believer who was
arrested for his faith and condemned to be burned at the stake. The night
before the execution, he wondered if he would have enough grace to become a
human torch; so he tested his courage by putting his finger into the flame of
the candle. Of course, it burned him and he pulled his hand back in pain. He
was certain that he would never be able to face martyrdom without failing. But
the next day, God gave him the grace he needed, and he had a joyful and
triumphant witness before his enemies.
人类受苦的主题并不容易理解，因为在我们到天堂之前，我们永远无法理解上帝工作的奥秘。有时我们因为自己的罪和反叛的狮子而受苦，就像约拿一样。有时我们受苦以防止我们犯罪，就像保罗的情况一样（2 哥林多前书 12:7）。苦难可以完善我们的品格（罗马书 5:1-5）并帮助我们分享上帝的品格（来 12:1-11）。
但苦难也可以帮助我们服侍他人。在每一个教会中，都有成熟的神的圣徒，他们曾受苦、经历过神的恩典，是会众中伟大的“鼓励者”。保罗经历了麻烦，不是因为他做了某件事而受到的惩罚，而是为他将要做的事情做准备——为有需要的人服务。想想大卫王为了给我们在诗篇中找到的巨大鼓励而不得不忍受的考验。
哥林多后书 1:7 清楚地表明，情况总是有逆转的可能：哥林多的信徒可能会经历试炼并接受上帝的恩典，以便他们可以鼓励他人。上帝有时呼召教会家庭经历特别的试炼，以便赐给他们特别丰富的恩典。如果我们学会忍受，上帝仁慈的鼓励会帮助我们。 “忍耐”是信心的证据。如果我们变得痛苦或批评上帝，如果我们反叛而不是顺服，那么我们的试炼就会对我们不利而不是对我们有利。能够耐心地忍受困难而不放弃，是属灵成熟的标志（来 12:1-7）。上帝必须先在我们里面工作，然后才能通过我们工作。我们在知识上长进比在恩典中长进容易得多（彼得后书 3:18）。学习上帝的真理并将其融入我们的头脑是一回事，但活出上帝的真理并将其融入我们的品格则是另一回事。上帝让年轻的约瑟经历了十三年的磨难，然后他让他成为埃及的第二任统治者，而约瑟原来是一个多么伟大的人！上帝总是为我们准备他正在为我们准备的东西，而这种准备的一部分就是受苦。从这个角度来看，哥林多后书 1:5 非常重要：甚至我们的主耶稣基督也必须受苦！当我们在上帝的旨意中受苦时，我们就是在分担救主的苦难。这并不是指他在十字架上的“替代受苦”，因为只有他才能作为我们无罪的替代品而死（彼得前书 2:21-25）。保罗在这里指的是“与他一同受苦”（腓立比书 3:10），即我们所忍受的考验，因为我们像基督一样，忠实地遵行天父的旨意。这是“为义”受苦（太 5:10-12）。但随着苦难的增加，上帝恩典的供应也随之增加。这个词比比皆是暗示了河流泛滥的画面。 “但他赐更多的恩典”（雅各书 4:6）。这是一个需要把握的重要原则：上帝有充足的恩典满足我们的每一个需要，但祂不会提前赐予。我们凭信心来到施恩宝座前，“为要得着怜悯，在有需要的时候蒙恩施助”（来 4:16）。希腊语的意思是“在你需要的时候提供帮助，及时的帮助”。我读到一个虔诚的信徒，他因信仰被捕并被处以火刑。行刑前一晚，他想知道自己是否有足够的恩典成为人类的火炬；于是他把手指伸进蜡烛的火焰中测试了他的勇气。当然，它烧伤了他，他痛苦地把手缩了回去。他确信他永远无法面对殉道而不失败。但是第二天，上帝给了他他需要的恩典，他在敌人面前有一个快乐而得意的见证。现在我们可以更好地理解
Now we can better understand 2 Corinthians
1:9; for, if we could store up God’s grace for emergency use, we would be prone
to trust ourselves and not “the God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10). All the
resources God gives us may be kept for future use—money, food, knowl[1]edge,
and so forth—but the grace of God cannot be stored away.
Rather, as we experience the grace of God in
our daily lives, it is invested into our lives as godly character (see Rom.
5:1–5). This investment pays dividends when new troubles come our way, for
godly character enables us to endure tribulation to the glory of God.
There is a “companionship” to suffering: it
can draw us closer to Christ and to His people. But if we start to wallow in
self-pity, suffering will create isola[1]tion
instead of involvement We will build walls and not bridges.
The important thing is to fix your attention
on God and not on yourself. Remember what God is to you—“the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3).
Remember what God does for you—that He is able to handle your trials and make
them work out for your good and His glory. Finally, remember what God does
through you—and let Him use you to be an encouragement to others.
哥林多後书 1:9；因为，如果我们能够储存上帝的恩典以备不时之需，我们就会倾向于相信自己，而不是“全然恩典的上帝”（彼得前书 5:10）。上帝赐给我们的所有资源都可以保留以备将来使用——金钱、食物、知识等等——但上帝的恩典不能被储存起来。相反，当我们在日常生活中体验上帝的恩典时，它就会作为敬虔的品格投入到我们的生活中（见罗马书 5：1-5）。当我们遇到新的麻烦时，这种投资会带来回报，因为敬虔的品格使我们能够忍受磨难来荣耀上帝。苦难有一种“陪伴”：它可以使我们更接近基督和祂的子民。但是，如果我们开始沉溺于自怜，痛苦将造成孤立而不是参与。我们将建造墙而不是桥梁。重要的是把注意力集中在上帝身上，而不是自己身上。记住上帝对你的意义——“我们主耶稣基督的父，慈悲之父，赐一切安慰的上帝”（林后 1:3）。记住上帝为你所做的——他能够处理你的考验，并使它们为你的利益和他的荣耀而努力。最后，记住上帝通过你所做的——让他使用你来鼓励他人。
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